Commissioners dissolve education funding policy

Tuesday

The Onslow County Board of Commissioners disbanded the current agreement with the Board of Education for county funding for schools in an unexpected action at Monday’s workshop meeting.

BOC Chairman Jack Bright said it was a unanimous vote to dissolve the education funding formula, but he had encouraged the board to look at revising the agreement that was in place rather than getting rid of it.

“I felt like we should have met with the school board and try to come to a resolution,” Bright said.

The board agreed at the previous regular meeting to have County Manager David Cotton meet with Onslow County Schools’ superintendent and finance officer to discuss preliminary ideas for options for re-evaluating the formula. But, Bright said with the summer break and scheduling conflicts, Cotton had not yet had a chance to do so.

Bright did not anticipate the motion to dissolve the formula.

“I didn’t see that coming,” he said. “It caught me off guard.”

Under the Joint Educational Funding Policy that was adopted by the Board of Education and Board of Commissioners in 2014, the county appropriation for Onslow County Schools’ current expense budget is calculated based on the average daily membership and the state average of local counties’ per pupil expenditure.

The decision to dissolve the 2014 policy doesn’t impact the current fiscal year as the 2018-2019 budget for the county has been adopted and took effect July 1.

Commissioner Royce Bennett, who seconded the motion by Commissioner Robin Knapp to dissolve the funding agreement, said the 2014 agreement was unfairly costing the county. Each year the county’s allocation for school funding has been going up by $2 million to $3 million, he said, but it has been at the expense of other needs in the county.

“It’s not fair to the 27 county departments that have to lose funding or not be adequately funded because of the needs of the schools,” Bennett said. “... We all want our kids to have great schools but there are other needs as well.”

In addition to increases in current expense funding for education, a 3-cent tax increase in the county’s property tax rate was approved as part of the current year’s budget to help fund the construction of two new elementary schools.

Commissioner Mark Price said it’s time to start talking with the school board to come up with a new plan beneficial to both sides.

Price said the county’s revenues are not keeping pace with the increasing education funding.

“Even though we are growing we’re not growing enough to cover the rate of increase,” he said.

While there was not opposition to re-evaluating the education funding policy, there was disappointment among school board members that they didn’t have any input into the decision.

School board member Bob Williams attended the meeting and heard the discussions by commissioners. He said he understands the concerns expressed by commissioners - and agrees there should be a discussion about the funding formula policy - but felt the decision by the Board of Commissioners could have been handled differently.

“The (education funding policy) wasn’t sustainable the way it was but the way it happened was not in the best interest of the public,” Williams said.

While the county is the funding source, Williams said the policy was a joint policy originally adopted by both the Board of Commissioners and Board of Education. Still, Williams said despite the action the two boards will continue to work together.

Board of Education Chairwoman Pam Thomas was not at the meeting but talked to Bright afterward about the action. Thomas said she was anticipating there would be discussion between county manager and school district superintendent on what option may be available before any further action was taken, but she is looking forward to future conversations between the two boards about the funding policy.

“I’ve been assured there will be conversations on options for structuring a new funding formula and our Board of Education is looking forward to that,” she said.

Bright agreed.

“My thought is there will still be a (joint) meeting to come up with a viable formula,” he said.

Reporter Jannette Pippin can be reached at 910-382-2557 or Jannette.Pippin@JDNews.com.

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